Sochi Winter Olympics

It's that time again, where the (winter) Olympics take place!

I admit I didn't watch the Opening Ceremonies last night, however, taking a look at several pictures thus far, makes me excited! (Events as well as pictures, of course) ;)

Good luck to the competing athletes!

Google Glassographers...

Here's a funny video about what photography with the new Google Glass would be like.

Yeah... definitely not looking forward to seeing people doing the things in the video, considering that people taking pictures with their iPad really looks odd to say the least. For me, seeing people take pictures with the iPhone doesn't bother me that much, since its size is close to point and shoot cameras. The iPad on the other hand, is not really compact, size-wise.

In terms of purpose, photography shouldn't be the primary reason why a person buys either devices. They just come with a camera feature that can be used... Like I mentioned, the iPhone is at least a reasonable size, but the iPad, is one giant touchscreen with one main button on the bottom. If you want to zoom in or out with an iPhone, it feels a lot easier than holding the iPad in one hand and adjusting the settings with the other.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is that the iPad isn't exactly there yet in terms of features for photography. On pretty much all cameras, digital and film, the standard for the shutter release is to be on the right side of the camera. However, the iPad's "shutter release" is smack dab in the bottom center. So unless you have a hand that's big enough to have your thumb reach the middle of the screen while holding the iPad up, it's likely that you'll be balancing the iPad with one hand and hoping that you hit the button when the horizon is actually horizontal.

Although there's a bit of time before Google Glass is released, I hope the features in terms of taking pictures with it are polished, especially since the theme around Google Glass seems to be around connecting and sharing experiences easier, and photography is definitely going to be included in that.

Volcano Photography

This is definitely something I wouldn't think of doing immediately in Hawaii, but maybe something I would like to try one day. Of course this type of photography is a lot more dangerous than taking a picture of a flower, but it has its thrills and beauty nonetheless. :)

A little early, but...

Here's a cool post by Time Lightbox of everyday this year in silhouettes.
My top three favorites were:
January 16, Auguest 23, and November 14

How Many Photos?

Here's a video I found... only the first half is "relevant". (It kinda goes off on a tangent -_-)

It's interesting especially considering how photography has evolved to become convenient with camera phones and other devices.

And so the storm hits...

Here are some shots of the super storm that is hitting the East Coast right now. Prayers and wishes to those people affected by the storm.

Light Painting

Here's a cool light painting video a couple of guys put together. It's definitely something I've been wanting to photograph for a long time! XD Hopefully I can try some out soon!

Digital Revolution... the Bad?

I stumbled on this article about the recent file for bankruptcy by Kodak.

It's really amazing as to how far photography has come, but really sad at the same time. Kodak dominated the market in making film photography available to the ordinary person, yet with the transition of the market to accommodate the digital age, the company falters behind.

To be completely honest, I really feel that film photography is a great medium to start in, and not digital. First off, you learn a lot of terminology and basic techniques in film that's a little hard to get when learning digital first (such as film speed/ISO). Second, you're forced to learn quicker with film photography, especially if the film costs $4 a shot and developing it is a fun hour of watching the clock. As convenient as digital photography may be, it might be too convenient. Lastly, the physical aspect to film photography. The negatives and prints were all tangible components to film photography, yet with the digital era, it's nothing more than data that's stored (unless the images are printed).

With the bankruptcy of Kodak, also brings the imminent fate of film photography becoming a lost art in the future. :(

Cute Camera

And so December begins. I found a cute camera in a mail catalog. :)

On a random note, my point and shoot Nikon Coolpix is getting repaired after six long years of torture it has gone through (oops). It feels weird not having a easy-to-use camera on hand, even when I wasn't taking pictures. Just the assurance that I had a camera nearby was nice... :(

Lost at Sea...

So I randomly stumbled upon this article. I hope I never drop my DSLR into the ocean for a year T_T

PS: Hope the warranty is still good!

Dear Photograph

I know it's been a VERY long time since I've shared any photo-related links, so here's one that I found today. While browsing through Time.com, I noticed they had a "Tumblr of the Week" section. This blog was featured two weeks ago and it is a lovely collection of photographs of memories that clash with the present.

I really like this concept that they created and maybe, just maybe, I might do one of these types of photos. :)

World Cup, Animal Style!

So in the spirit of the World Cup, I found a short photo essay of soccer + animals!

I think my favorite are the fish one and the penguin goal photos. And speaking of animals, this brings up the subject of animal photography. :P

To be honest, I haven't done as much animal photography as I wish I have. (unless you count the random squirrel shots I've taken) I don't own any pets, nor do I take pictures of pets on walks and such, I'm not as familiar with the subjects as I can. However, like a lot of other photography subjects, this especially requires patience. You can have a set shutterspeed and all, but focus can be an issue, since animals act however they want over what you'd want.

But at the same time, that's also the beauty of it. With patience, that perfect shot can come at any moment and it will be worth it!


:)